Molad Times - Molad Times for the Jewish Years 5770-5775 (2009-2015)

Molad Times for the Jewish Years 5770-5775 (2009-2015)

E-mail

When blessing the new month in the synagogue on the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh, it is customary to announce the time that the molad (birth of the new moon) occurs in Jerusalem, so that it can be kept in mind while saying the blessing.

Traditionally, the time is announced in hours, minutes and chalakim -- e.g., "The molad will occur Sunday evening, eight minutes and seven chalakim after seven o'clock." A chelek is one 1080th part of an hour, or 3.33 seconds. In this table, we have noted the time of the molad in hours and minutes (e.g., 7:08 PM), and we've also noted the number of chalakim, for use in the traditional announcement.

All times listed here are Jerusalem times, and are so announced in the synagogue regardless of location.

For more about the molad, see What is the molad? at the bottom of this page.

Molad Times for 5770 (2009-2010)

Molad for Month of	Day of Week	Date	Time
Tishrei	Shabbat	September 19, 2009	10:47 (7 chalakim) AM
Cheshvan	Sunday	October 18, 2009	11:31 (8 chalakim) PM
Kislev	Tuesday	November 17, 2009	12:15 (9 chalakim) PM
Tevet	Thursday	December 17, 2009	12:59 (10 chalakim) AM
Shevat	Friday	January 15, 2010	1:43 (11 chalakim) PM
Adar	Sunday	February 14, 2010	2:27 (12 chalakim) AM
Nissan	Monday	March 15, 2010	3:11 (13 chalakim) PM
Iyar	Wednesday	April 14, 2010	3:55 (14 chalakim) AM
Sivan	Thursday	May 13, 2010	4:39 (15 chalakim) PM
Tamuz	Shabbat	June 12, 2010	5:23 (16 chalakim) AM
Av	Sunday	July 11, 2010	6:07 (17 chalakim) PM
Elul	Tuesday	August 10, 2010	6:52:00 AM

Click here to convert Secular to Jewish dates

Molad Times for 5771 (2010-11)

Molad for Month of	Day of Week	Date	Time
Tishrei	Wednesday	September 8, 2010	7:36 (1 chelek) PM
Cheshvan	Friday	October 8, 2010	8:20 (2 chalakim) AM
Kislev	Shabbat	November 6, 2010	9:04 (3 chalakim) PM
Tevet	Monday	December 6, 2010	9:48 (4 chalakim) AM
Shevat	Tuesday	January 4, 2011	10:32 (5 chalakim) PM
Adar I	Thursday	February 3, 2011	11:16 (6 chalakim) AM
Adar II	Shabbat	March 5, 2011	12:00 (7 chalakim) AM
Nissan	Sunday	April 3, 2011	12:44 (8 chalakim) PM
Iyar	Tuesday	May 3, 2011	1:28 (9 chalakim) AM
Sivan	Wednesday	June 1, 2011	2:12 (10 chalakim) PM
Tamuz	Friday	July 1, 2011	2:56 (11 chalakim) AM
Av	Shabbat	July 30, 2011	3:40 (12 chalakim) PM
Elul	Monday	August 29, 2011	4:24 (13 chalakim) AM

Click here to convert Secular to Jewish dates

Molad Times for 5772 (2011-2012)

Molad for Month of	Day of Week	Date	Time
Tishrei	Tuesday	September 27, 2011	5:08 (14 chalakim) PM
Cheshvan	Thursday	October 27, 2011	5:52 (15 chalakim) AM
Kislev	Friday	November 25, 2011	6:36 (16 chalakim) PM
Tevet	Sunday	December 25, 2011	7:20 (17 chalakim) AM
Shevat	Monday	January 23, 2012	8:05 PM
Adar	Wednesday	February 22, 2012	8:49 (1 chelek) AM
Nissan	Thursday	March 22, 2012	9:33 (2 chalakim) PM
Iyar	Shabbat	April 21, 2012	10:17 (3 chalakim) AM
Sivan	Sunday	May 20, 2012	11:01 (4 chalakim) PM
Tammuz	Tuesday	June 19, 2012	11:45 (5 chalakim) AM
Av	Thursday	July 19, 2012	12:29 (6 chalakim) AM
Elul	Friday	August 17, 2012	1:13 (7 chalakim) PM

Click here to convert Secular to Jewish dates

Molad Times for 5773 (2012-2013)

Molad for Month of	Day of Week	Date	Time
Tishrei	Sunday	September 16, 2012	1:57 (8 chalakim) AM
Cheshvan	Monday	October 15, 2012	2:41 (9 chalakim) PM
Kislev	Wednesday	November 14, 2012	3:25 (10 chalakim) AM
Tevet	Thursday	December 13, 2012	4:09 (11 chalakim) PM
Shevat	Shabbat	January 12, 2013	4:53 (12 chalakim) AM
Adar	Sunday	February 10, 2013	5:37 (13 chalakim) PM
Nissan	Tuesday	March 12, 2013	6:21 (14 chalakim) AM
Iyar	Wednesday	April 10, 2013	7:05 (15 chalakim) PM
Sivan	Friday	May 10, 2013	7:49 (16 chalakim) AM
Tamuz	Shabbat	June 8, 2013	8:33 (17 chalakim) PM
Av	Monday	July 8, 2013	9:18 AM
Elul	Tuesday	August 6, 2013	10:02 (1 chelek) PM

Click here to convert Secular to Jewish dates

Molad Times for 5774 (2013-2014)

Molad for Month of	Day of Week	Date	Time
Tishrei	Thursday	September 5, 2013	10:46 (2 chalakim) AM
Cheshvan	Friday	October 4, 2013	11:30 (3 chalakim) PM
Kislev	Sunday	November 3, 2013	12:14 (4 chalakim) PM
Tevet	Tuesday	December 3, 2013	12:58 (5 chalakim) AM
Shevat	Wednesday	January 1, 2014	1:42 (6 chalakim) PM
Adar I	Friday	January 31, 2014	2:26 (7 chalakim) AM
Adar II	Shabbat	March 1, 2014	3:10 (8 chalakim) PM
Nissan	Monday	March 31, 2014	3:54 (9 chalakim) AM
Iyar	Tuesday	April 29, 2014	4:38 (10 chalakim) PM
Sivan	Thursday	May 29, 2014	5:22 (11 chalakim) AM
Tamuz	Friday	June 27, 2014	6:06 (12 chalakim) PM
Av	Sunday	July 27, 2014	6:50 (13 chalakim) AM
Elul	Monday	August 25, 2014	7:34 (14 chalakim) PM

Click here to convert Secular to Jewish dates

Molad Times for 5775 (2014-2015)

Molad for Month of	Day of Week	Date	Time
Tishrei	Wednesday	September 24, 2014	8:18 (15 chalakim) AM
Cheshvan	Thursday	October 23, 2014	9:02 (16 chalakim) PM
Kislev	Shabbat	November 22, 2014	9:46 (17 chalakim) AM
Tevet	Sunday	December 21, 2014	10:31 PM
Shevat	Tuesday	January 20, 2015	11:15 (1 chelek) AM
Adar	Wednesday	February 18, 2015	11:59 (2 chalakim)PM
Nissan	Friday	March 20, 2015	12:43 (3 chalakim) PM
Iyar	Sunday	April 19, 2015	1:27 (4 chalakim) AM
Sivan	Monday	May 18, 2015	2:11 (5 chalakim) PM
Tamuz	Wednesday	June 17, 2015	2:55 (6 chalakim) AM
Av	Thursday	July 16, 2015	3:39 (7 chalakim) PM
Elul	Shabbat	August 15, 2015	4:23 (8 chalakim) AM

Click here to convert Secular to Jewish dates

What is the molad?

The Jewish calendar is lunar-based, with each month representing one lunar cycle -- the time it takes for the moon to complete one orbit around the earth.

The molad is the time of the moon's "birth." There is a point in the moon's orbit in which it is positioned directly between the earth and the sun, making it invisible to anyone standing on earth's surface. The molad occurs when the moon has moved far enough from this position that a thin crescent of its illuminated surface becomes visible, marking the start of a new Jewish month.

The time it takes for the moon to complete one orbit around the earth -- as calculated by sages and confirmed by astronomical observation -- is 29 days, 12 hours and 793 chalakim (there are 1,080 chalakim or "parts" in an hour, hence a chelek is 3.33... seconds). This represents the average time from molad to molad. The actual moment at which the moon becomes visible will vary slightly from the average molad, depending on the relative positions of the earth, moon and sun to each other at any given month, where on earth the observer is standing, the length of twilight at given seasons of the year, and other astronomical variables.

For this reason the Jewish calendar is “tweaked” so that Rosh Chodesh -- the first of the month -- is as close as possible to the time in which the moon would actually be seen in Jerusalem if we were still relying on actual observation of the moon to establish the start of a new month (as was done until the 5th century C.E.). Also, because a month has to be made up of whole days, the Jewish month alternates between 29 and 30 days. This is why Rosh Chodesh will often occur a day or more after the average molad.

The content on this page is copyrighted by the author, publisher and/or Chabad.org, and is produced by Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you comply with the copyright policy.

E-mail

Sort By:

NewestOldest

January 3, 2011

RE: Molad of Shevat

In the current prefixed calendar, the purpose of the calculating the molad is not in order for us to know when to fix a specific Rosh Chodesh during the year. That is mostly set on a predetermined cycle of months of alternating lengths, with the few months that are not fixed adjusting themselves according to the required length of that year. So what do we need to calculate the molads for? The cumulative calculation of the molads helps us determine the date of Rosh Hashanah, as you can read in Maimonides’ work on the subject ( 947925 ). For this reason, the date of a given Rosh Chodesh is completely independent of the molad. (Incidentally even the date of Rosh Hashanah can sometimes be as much as two days after the Molad, as explained halacha 4 of the above link.)

So you ask, why do we announce the molad each month if it has nothing to do with Rosh Chodesh? I found the following explanation in the Shaar Hakolel (by Rabbi Avraham David Lavut - 19th century). He explains that in the days when the moon was sanctified by bet din, after testimony of the real molad (appearance of the moon) of the moon was heard, a special meal--replete with prayers for a good month--was held. Our prayers for the new month on the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh mirror those prayers. As such, announcing the molad is a re-enactment of sorts of the testimony given in times gone by.

Menachem Posner for Chabad.org
Montreal, QC

January 2, 2011

Molad of Shvat

Please explain why - if the molad for the coming month of Shvat is on Tues night- Rosh Chodesh is Thursday and not Wednesday?

Anonymous

July 27, 2009

July 22 09 eclipse

A solar eclipse is by definition the physical molad, because there the moon passing the sun can be seen. (This definition of Molad differs from the one on this web site. I have read that which molad time used is a machlokes). This past month the solar eclipse occurred between 1:00 AM and 2:00 AM UT (similar to GMT) depending where in Asia you observed it. So Jerusalem time would be 2 hours later, or between 2-4 AM. This will give you an example of the difference between the average used for the molad compared to the actual molad which can differ by several hours.

Marc Engel
Far Rock, NY

November 9, 2007

Let Moshiach Come

I see you have times for 5770. That should be the last year we need them---Moshiach should tell us next time!

Anonymous
LA, CA